Bob Kingsley. Photo: Provided by Westwood One
Bob Kingsley, a radio legend whose voice was synonymous with country music, died on Thursday, October 17, 2019, at his home in Weatherford, Texas while receiving treatment for cancer. He was 80.
One of broadcasting’s most beloved and iconic figures, Kingsley was a mainstay on radio for 60 years. His dominance in the country format began in 1978 when he took over as host of American Country Countdown after four years as the show’s producer for one of radio’s founding syndication companies, Watermark, founded by Tom Rounds. In 2006, he and his wife and business partner Nan Kingsley established Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40, produced by their own KCCS Productions, still running on more than 320 stations.
Kingsley received many of broadcasting’s top honors and was named to the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998 and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2016. He is the namesake and was the first recipient of the Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award, presented each year since 2014 at the Grand Ole Opry House and benefitting the Opry Trust Fund.
They were among the many fruits of a career built on a simple premise. “I love the music and the people who make it, and I want our listeners to have as much insight into both as I can give them, and to make the experience as enjoyable as possible,” he once said.
Bob’s love for radio and music dated to his childhood, when polio kept him in bed and in near isolation for a year. “I would listen to the radio and certain shows became really important to me. It was complete escapism and entertainment. I didn’t realize the imprint it was making, but it obviously stayed with me,” he said.
At 18, Kingsley joined the Air Force and served in Keflavik, Iceland, where he jumped at a chance to become an announcer on Armed Forces Radio. That experience and his love of country music would carry him to legendary stations like KFOX, KGBS, KFI, and KLAC in Los Angeles, and to his role as the voice of Drake-Chenault’s Great American Country format, used by hundreds of country radio stations.
His role as host of American Country Countdown with Bob Kingsley made him a household name. He supplemented the weekly countdown with Christmas specials, album release specials for artists including Alabama, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood, and for many years a daily artist spotlight called America’s Music Makers. With Kingsley at the helm, the show was named Billboard’s Network/Syndicated Country Program of the Year for 16 years in a row.
Kingsley received the Academy of Country Music’s Major Market On-Air Personality of the Year Award in 1966 and 1967 and was named the Country Music Association’s National Broadcast Personality of the Year in 2001 and 2003. He was voted National Air Personality of the Year five times by Country Radio Broadcasters and Country Aircheck and won the ACM’s 2007 National Broadcast Personality of the Year Award. He was chosen as the recipient of the 2012 President’s Award by the CRB. In 2017, Bob received the Mae Boren Axton Service Award in recognition of his dedication and service to the ACM, on whose board he served for decades. He was twice the host and emcee of Alabama’s legendary June Jam.
Kingsley served in 2004 and 2005 as Master of Ceremonies at the National Veterans Day Ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, one of many national and regional events to which he has volunteered time and energy, and he helped get information on benefits to countless veterans through vehicles like his Veterans Day 2005 radio special, “Bob Kingsley Salutes America’s Veterans.” He was the recipient of the Wounded Warrior Project’s Tony Snow Award for the significant difference he has made in the lives of injured servicemen and women.
His many charitable endeavors included work for Disabled American Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Wounded Warrior Project, Careity Foundation, and the Palliative Unit of Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, among others.
An avid cutting horse enthusiast, he lived and worked with his wife of 30 years, Nan, on their Bluestem Ranch in Weatherford, Texas.
A celebration of life will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, November 14, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. at The CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Kingsley’s name to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum or the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund.
Opry Entertainment’s Country Lifestyle Network Gets A Name: Circle
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Opry Entertainment Group and Gray Television have unveiled the name of the new media network dedicated to the country music lifestyle experience – Circle. The linear 24/7 network will begin in early 2020 with TV stations owned by Gray TV, and additional distribution partners will be announced in the coming months. Circle also plans to launch a companion OTT (over-the-top) premium entertainment service in late spring 2020.
The 360-degree media platform is designed to bring viewers into country music’s inner circle, and the name is also a nod to the iconic wooden circle on the Grand Ole Opry stage where countless country music superstars have performed. Circle will feature original programming centered around artists and their music, hobbies, outdoor and offstage adventures, food, family, and friends. The network will also offer entertainment news, documentaries and movies along with licensed programming and archival content, and its lineup will include the return of a weekly broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry.
“As country music’s fan base continues to expand, our goal as a company is to provide differentiated entertainment experiences that celebrate the country lifestyle and enrich the artist-fan connection that is the backbone of country music,” said Scott Bailey, president of Opry Entertainment Group. “Circle Media is a key piece of that strategy that will create a window into all of the best moments that happen in Nashville and throughout the South so fans can connect with up-and-coming artists and the superstars they love from anywhere they are.”
“Circle is all about fun, discovery and accessibility for country music fans,” said Drew Reifenberger, general manager of Circle Media. “Circle will align fans and artists by creating intimate experiences and camaraderie of a close-knit circle of friends.”
Dierks Bentley, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown To Headline Country Fest
/by Lorie HollabaughThomas Rhett, Dierks Bentley, and Kane Brown are set to headline the 34th annual Country Fest June 25-27. The three-day country music and camping festival in Cadott, Wis. will also include Cole Swindell, Brothers Osborne, Jon Pardi, Chris Lane, Matt Stell, Hardy, Neal McCoy, and many more.
The newly-expanded Bud Light’s Crossroads Stage will feature performances by Mitchell Tenpenny, Granger Smith feat. Earl Dibbles Jr., Runaway June, Tenille Townes, Ingrid Andress, and others. A kickoff party will be held Wednesday, June 24 to kick off the festivities.
Country Fest offers a variety of activities as attendees can relax in Hammock Haven, play giant games, take a stroll through the Northern Lights wooded walking trail, and much more. All tickets, campsites, and pit passes by artist are on sale now at countryfest.com or by calling the Country Fest office 800-326-3378.
BREAKING: Radio Legend Bob Kingsley Dies
/by contributorBob Kingsley. Photo: Provided by Westwood One
Bob Kingsley, a radio legend whose voice was synonymous with country music, died on Thursday, October 17, 2019, at his home in Weatherford, Texas while receiving treatment for cancer. He was 80.
One of broadcasting’s most beloved and iconic figures, Kingsley was a mainstay on radio for 60 years. His dominance in the country format began in 1978 when he took over as host of American Country Countdown after four years as the show’s producer for one of radio’s founding syndication companies, Watermark, founded by Tom Rounds. In 2006, he and his wife and business partner Nan Kingsley established Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40, produced by their own KCCS Productions, still running on more than 320 stations.
Kingsley received many of broadcasting’s top honors and was named to the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998 and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2016. He is the namesake and was the first recipient of the Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award, presented each year since 2014 at the Grand Ole Opry House and benefitting the Opry Trust Fund.
They were among the many fruits of a career built on a simple premise. “I love the music and the people who make it, and I want our listeners to have as much insight into both as I can give them, and to make the experience as enjoyable as possible,” he once said.
Bob’s love for radio and music dated to his childhood, when polio kept him in bed and in near isolation for a year. “I would listen to the radio and certain shows became really important to me. It was complete escapism and entertainment. I didn’t realize the imprint it was making, but it obviously stayed with me,” he said.
At 18, Kingsley joined the Air Force and served in Keflavik, Iceland, where he jumped at a chance to become an announcer on Armed Forces Radio. That experience and his love of country music would carry him to legendary stations like KFOX, KGBS, KFI, and KLAC in Los Angeles, and to his role as the voice of Drake-Chenault’s Great American Country format, used by hundreds of country radio stations.
His role as host of American Country Countdown with Bob Kingsley made him a household name. He supplemented the weekly countdown with Christmas specials, album release specials for artists including Alabama, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood, and for many years a daily artist spotlight called America’s Music Makers. With Kingsley at the helm, the show was named Billboard’s Network/Syndicated Country Program of the Year for 16 years in a row.
Kingsley received the Academy of Country Music’s Major Market On-Air Personality of the Year Award in 1966 and 1967 and was named the Country Music Association’s National Broadcast Personality of the Year in 2001 and 2003. He was voted National Air Personality of the Year five times by Country Radio Broadcasters and Country Aircheck and won the ACM’s 2007 National Broadcast Personality of the Year Award. He was chosen as the recipient of the 2012 President’s Award by the CRB. In 2017, Bob received the Mae Boren Axton Service Award in recognition of his dedication and service to the ACM, on whose board he served for decades. He was twice the host and emcee of Alabama’s legendary June Jam.
Kingsley served in 2004 and 2005 as Master of Ceremonies at the National Veterans Day Ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, one of many national and regional events to which he has volunteered time and energy, and he helped get information on benefits to countless veterans through vehicles like his Veterans Day 2005 radio special, “Bob Kingsley Salutes America’s Veterans.” He was the recipient of the Wounded Warrior Project’s Tony Snow Award for the significant difference he has made in the lives of injured servicemen and women.
His many charitable endeavors included work for Disabled American Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Wounded Warrior Project, Careity Foundation, and the Palliative Unit of Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, among others.
An avid cutting horse enthusiast, he lived and worked with his wife of 30 years, Nan, on their Bluestem Ranch in Weatherford, Texas.
A celebration of life will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, November 14, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. at The CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Kingsley’s name to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum or the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund.
Industry Pics: Midland, ACM, Grand Ole Opry, Dottie West Birthday Bash
/by Jessica NicholsonMidland At The Palomino
Pictured (L-R): Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy and Mark Wystrach of Midland attend Midland LIVE at the Palomino on October 15, 2019 in North Hollywood, California. Photo: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Big Machine Records
California’s legendary Palomino Club re-opened as a music venue–for one night only–as country trio Midland brought tight-knit harmonies and retro-yet-modern sound to 400 fans who packed out the club on Oct. 15. The trio’s Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson offered music from their debut album On The Rocks, and its followup Let It Roll, which released in August.
“They told us the Dos Equis was gone near the end of the set,” marveled lead singer/guitarist Wystrach. “It’s a good thing the Titos almost held out… It’s not that you wanna be drunk to listen, but more that this kind of country deserves a few cold ones.”
PIctured (L-R): Jason Owen, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rob Light, Jess Carson, Jake Basden and Allison Jones attends Midland LIVE at the Palomino on October 15, 2019 in North Hollywood, California. Photo: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Big Machine Records
ACM Welcomes Riley Green
Pictured (L-R): Daniel Miller, Fusion Music/Red Light Management and ACM Board Member; Riley Green; RAC Clark, Interim ACM Executive Director; Zach Sutton, Red Light Management. Photo: Michel Bourquard/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music welcomed Big Machine Label Group’s Riley Green to the office while he was in Los Angeles recently. While at the Academy, Green performed his current single, “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” along with a few other songs from his new album, Different ‘Round Here.
Grand Ole Opry Welcomes Former President Jimmy Carter
Pictured: Rosalynn Carter, President Jimmy Carter, Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks. Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry
President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter visited the Grand Ole Opry while in Nashville for a weeklong build marking the 36th year of their Habitat for Humanity Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. In a surprise moment, Opry members Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood introduced them on stage. Brooks and Yearwood have served as Habitat ambassadors for more than a decade and worked alongside the Carters at the build site.
President Carter had previously visited the Opry House as Governor of Georgia and again during his presidential term. President Richard Nixon was the first U.S. President to visit the Opry when he attended the opening night of the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974. President Nixon, who sang and played piano at the Opry that night, is the only President to have performed on the Opry stage.
Opry favorites provided the lunchtime entertainment at the Habitat build site as they performed behind the Opry mic stand for more than 300 volunteers each day Monday – Friday. More than 20 houses were built in North Nashville as part of the project.
Dottie West Birthday Bash Raises $28K
Jeannie Seely with Bill Anderson. Photo: Bev Moser/Moments By Moser
The third annual Dottie West Birthday Bash, held Oct. 10 at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley and sponsored by Springer Mountain Farms, raised more than $28,000 for the Nashville Musicians Association, with 100% of all money going to the Musician’s Emergency Relief Fund. Jeannie Seely hosted the event, which featured music from Bill Anderson and his Po Folks Band, Tim Atwood, John Berry, Buddy Cannon, Melonie Cannon, Michele Capps, Peter Cooper, Danny Davis, Steve Dorff, Erin Enderlin, Tess Frizzell, Jamey Johnson, Jon Randall, John Schneider, Jeannie Seely, Bobby Tomberlin, Dallas Wayne and Kenna West along with special guests and surprises.
Sony Corporation Announces New Music Ecosystem With 360 Reality Audio
/by LB CantrellSony Corporation today (Oct. 16) announced the upcoming commercial availability of 360 Reality Audio, an immersive audio experience utilizing object-based spatial audio technology. Beginning in late fall 2019, listeners in the United States, Europe and beyond can access approximately 1,000 songs in this new format through streaming services Amazon Music HD, Deezer, nugs.net and TIDAL.
Object-based spatial audio technology makes it possible for artists and music creators to produce a music experience by mapping sound sources such as vocals, chorus and instruments with positional information and placing them within a spherical space. When listeners hear content produced in the 360 Reality Audio music format, they experience an immersion into sound that closely mimics the omni-directional soundscape of a live musical performance.
The planned 1,000 songs will include leading contemporary artists like Mark Ronson and Pharrell Williams, as well as timeless classics such as Billy Joel and Bob Dylan. The service will also feature more than 100 songs recorded from an array of concerts by performers such as CHARLI XCX and Kodaline, captured through a partnership with select Live Nation Clubs & Theaters.
360 Reality Audio can be fully enjoyed on headphones and wireless speakers at service launch.
“360 Reality Audio is a proof point that innovation never stops,” said Mike Fasulo, president and chief operating officer, Sony Electronics (North America). “The confluence of deep technical roots, tireless artists and forward-thinking hardware and semiconductor partners illustrates the tremendous draw of this radical new way to make music even more moving. Together with valued industry partners, Sony has architected the most powerful, realistic music experience for listeners and a new medium for artists to create.”
Participating streaming services scheduled for fall 2019 launch include Amazon Music HD2, Deezer, nugs.net and TIDAL. Sony is also working with Napster to develop the solution of 360 Reality Audio streaming for further expansion of service providers.
Sony is working with labels Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, as well as Live Nation, music distribution services and other music organizations to provide the technology for building a musical ecosystem around 360 Reality Audio, which will include the creation, distribution and playing of music content. Sony will also provide specifications for the 360 Reality Audio music format with the cooperation of Fraunhofer IIS, part of Europe’s largest organization for applied research. Through these efforts, Sony is working to promote this new music experience to music creators, artists and music fans, with the aim of creating an entirely new world of music entertainment.
Blake Shelton To Extend Friends And Heroes Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughBlake Shelton is hitting the road once again for his “Friends and Heroes 2020” tour beginning in February. The 16-date run will kick off in Portland, Oregon and will hit major cities throughout the Midwest and West Coast, including a stop at The Forum in Los Angeles. Joining him is special guest Lauren Alaina as well as appearances by The Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson and Trace Adkins.
“The Friends and Heroes Tour was so exciting and successful last year that I couldn’t imagine not trying something like that again,” said Shelton. “Even though every night when the show wrapped, I would tell the audience that they might never see something like this again, with these legends, my plan all along was to at least try to make that happen. I didn’t know if I’d be able to get the same artists, but we were able to work it out where we have the Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson, Trace Adkins and Lauren Alaina all coming back to do the exact same tour. We were only able to do a handful of shows last year, so we’re going to take the tour to different areas so that fans will get a chance to see what we did. I feel like it was the best concert experience that I’ve ever been involved in, and I’m ready to get fired up again.”
Tickets in all cities, apart from Los Angeles, Wichita and Detroit, go on sale Oct. 25. The three remaining shows will go on sale Nov. 1. A limited number of exclusive VIP Packages will be available that include a great selection of tickets, backstage tours, access to VIP hospitality lounge, preferred parking, custom merchandise and much more.
Blake Shelton’s “Friends and Heroes 2020” Dates:
In Pictures: BMI At Sixth Annual Island Hopper Songwriters Festival
/by Jessica NicholsonRyan Hurd performs at the 2019 Island Hopper festival. Photo: Brian Tietz
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) recently sponsored the sixth annual Island Hopper Songwriters Festival presented by the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau and co-sponsored by iHeartMedia.
More than 70 BMI songwriters performed during the 10-day festival, which spanned across venues in Fort Myers Beach and Downtown Fort Myers as well as Captiva Island. Performers included Gone West, Jerrod Niemann, Kristian Bush, Rodney Atkins, Ryan Hurd, Bobby Tomberlin, Brandon Kinney, Clint Daniels, Danny Myrick, Even Stevens, recent Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Kostas, Katie Lyon, Wynn Varble, Sarah Peacock, Stephanie Quayle, Striking Matches, Robert Counts, and more.
The festival spotlights the craftsmanship of songwriting, while boosting the local economy by bringing locals and tourists into the hotels and restaurants (particularly BMI-licensed businesses); this year’s attendance (based on venue capacity) increased by 16% over 2018.
Kristian Bush performs. Photo: Brian Tietz
Kostas performs. Photo: Brian Tietz
Sawyer Frederick performs. Photo: Brian Tietz
Photo: Brian Tietz
BMI’s Dan Spears with Canadian singer songwriter James Gadon and Season 8 winner of The Voice, Sawyer Fredericks, after their writer round at Doc Ford’s at the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest on Captiva Island. Photo: Brian Tietz
Judy Blank performing at the 2019 Island Hopper Songwriter Festival in Downtown Fort Myers. Photo: Brian Tietz.
Colbie Caillat performs as a part of Gone West at the 2019 Island Hopper Songwriters Festival in Downtown Fort Myers. Photo: Brian Tietz.
BMI songwriters gathered for a team photo at the annual Island Hopper Songwriter Fest VIP reception hosted by South Seas Plantation on Captiva Island. Photo: Brian Tietz
In Pictures: T.J. Martell Honors BMI’s Mike O’Neill, CMA’s Sarah Trahern, Atlantic’s Michael Kushner
/by Haley CrowPictured (L-R): Laura Heatherly, CEO, T.J. Martell Foundation; Honoree Michael Kushner, EVP, Atlantic Records; Joel Katz, Chairman of the Board, T.J. Martell Foundation; Honoree Sarah Trahern, CEO, Country Music Association; Honoree Mike O’Neill, CEO, BMI. Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for the T.J. Martell Foundation
The T.J. Martell Foundation 44th Annual New York Honors Gala was held last night (Oct. 15) at Cipriani New York, where Atlantic Records’ Michael Kushner, BMI’s Mike O’Neill and the Country Music Association’s Sarah Trahern were the stars of the evening. Comedian Bill Bellamy hosted the event and Trisha Yearwood and BeBe Winans were presenters. Chris Young and Pink Sweat$ both performed at the sold-out ceremony.
Pictured (L-R): Laura Heatherly and Sarah Trahern. Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images for the T.J. Martell Foundation
Pictured (L-R): Honoree Sarah Trahern with presenters Trisha Yearwood and BeBe Winans. Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images for the T.J. Martell Foundation
Pictured (L-R): BeBe Winans presents honoree Mike O’Neill. Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for the T.J. Martell Foundation
Pictured (L-R): Chris Young, Sarah Trahern, Trisha Yearwood, BeBe Winans, and Mike O’Neill. Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for the T.J. Martell Foundation
Pictured (L-R): Bill Bellamy, who hosted the Honors Gala, congratulates Joel Katz. Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for the T.J. Martell Foundation
Pictured: Chris Young performs at the T.J. Martell Foundation 44th Annual New York Honors Gala. Photo: Getty Images for the T.J. Martell Foundation
Pictured: Pink Sweat$ performs at the T.J. Martell Foundation 44th Annual New York Honors Gala. Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for the T.J. Martell Foundation
Integrity Music Adds Sam Bailey To Roster
/by Jessica NicholsonSam Bailey
Integrity Music has signed songwriter/artist Sam Bailey to its roster. Over the years, Bailey has collaborated with artists including Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin. He has also released the album Gold, along with mainstream singles under the artist name “bailey.”
Bailey’s songwriting credits include Redman’s “Simple Pursuit,” Mack Brock‘s “One Like Us,” and more.
Integrity Music has published classic CCM songs including “Revelation Songs,” “Open The Eyes Of My Heart,” “10,000 Reasons,” and more. Along with Bailey, Integrity Music artists include Lincoln Brewster, Darlene Zschech, Martin Smith, Leeland, William McDowell, Matt Redman, Paul Baloche, David Leonard, Jon Egan, David and Nicole Binion, Selah, Kees Kraeynoord, ICF Church, Matt Marvane, and InSalvation, along with newer artists Thrive Worship, Local Sound, Sarah Kroger, Nashville Life Music, and MDSN.
Weekly Register: Brantley Gilbert Brings ‘Fire & Brimstone’ To Country Chart Pinnacle
/by Jessica NicholsonBrantley Gilbert leads this week’s country albums chart with the debut of his third album for BMLG’s Valory Music Co., Fire & Brimstone. The project earned 36K in total consumption (28K album only and 9.2 million song streams) this week, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Luke Combs‘ This One’s For You (River House Artists/Columbia Nashville) brings in 19.9K in total consumption to land at No. 2, followed by Dan + Shay‘s self-titled effort on Warner Music Nashville landing at No. 3 with 14.8K. Combs’ The Prequel EP is at No. 4 this week with 11.6K in total consumption. Sturgill Simpson‘s Sound & Fury (Elektra) rounds out the Top 5 with 11.3K in total consumption.
Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber top this week’s top country streaming songs rankings, with “10,000 Hours,” dislodging Blanco Brown‘s long-reigning “The Git Up.” “10,000 Hours” earned 24 million streams. Another cross-genre collaboration ranks at No. 2, as Diplo and Morgan Wallen‘s “Heartless” earns 6 million streams. Brown’s “The Git Up” drops to No. 3 this week with 5.8 million streams.
Maren Morris‘ “The Bones” is at No. 4 with 5.7 million streams, followed by Combs’ “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” with 5.5 million streams.